modifications: Not so much a mod as a mistake that I’m, uh, calling a mod, yeah, that’s it! I omitted the contrasting edge for the hem, the cuffs, and the neck. I am also flying in the face of conformity and eschewing the zipper (more on that below)

Originally, when I finished knitting this sweater three months ago, I had intended for it to be the wee one’s Rhinebeck sweater. I had woven in the ends and blocked it just a couple of days ahead of schedule. I was so psyched! All I had to do was sew in the zipper. The problem was that I wasn’t able to make it to the fabric shop before the weekend to pick one up. (The kid wore another sweater that I whipped up for him to the festival.) So it languished another week, and another week turned into another month when the zipper I finally managed to get was the wrong kind of zipper, i.e. not a separating zipper. When I finally got my act together and went to the fabric shop with the sole purpose of getting the right zipper (there were a few visits in between in which I frigging forgot to look for the damn zipper – derf), I couldn’t find the right color. In the interest of having the kiddo wear this sweater before he outgrows it, I’m calling it done and saying, “Zipper? What zipper? We don’t need no stinking zipper!”

Allow me to gush for a moment, because there’s a lot to gush about. First of all, the pattern. Love it! I love everything about it. I love how well it was written. Let’s hear it for clearly written, easy-to-follow instructions! I love its shape. I love its fit. I love its construction. I love the striping. I love how quickly it knit up. Love it, love it, LOVE IT! The only thing I plan to do differently when I knit this again (because I will knit this again – kids grow and stuff) is to knit the sleeves in the round only because I do not love seaming and don’t mind a jog that wouldn’t be all that visible anyway due to its position.

Now, onto the yarn…. Dude. Dude, really. Madelinetosh Tosh Merino is the squishiest most delightful stuff to knit with and so perfect for baby knits. When I saw this yarn in this colorway, I had to have it because it just begged to made into a baby sweater. Like the original Budgie, which we were fortunate enough to have received as a present from grumperina, who by the way has some super-awesome news, I opted to match it with a handspun, and lo! I had the perfect handspun for it. Granted, at the time, it was “in use” as a fugtastc hat that I never wore because it was ZOMGginormous. I performed a mercy frogging and put that yarn to much better use. I think it works well as a part of this combo. And can I say? I am shocked by the dearth of purple clothes for boys. There is so much dookie brown and boring navy and vomit olive, yet no purple. I could go on at length about how it bugs me that camo is so popular in boys’ clothes yet there is not a drop of purple, but eh…. For now, I’ll just say that this color combo pleases me immensely. And the kid? So cozy and happy in his sweater.